Calling Laptop Guru's

[:FI:Blue2]

Gents,
I need to buy a decent used laptop, but know almost nothing about them. Don't want to spend the $$$ for a brand new one. Mainly want it for wireless use while away from home, plus making/watching the occasional DVD. So I do want latest or near-latest wireless technology for decent speeds and ease of connectivity in various hotspots, etc.
No plans for video editing or other storage-intensive tasks. No plans for much gaming with it either, so hi-end video isn't a priority.

What would you guys recommend looking for? Avoiding? How would you shop for a decent "1 owner" ? What should I expect to pay?

Any & all advice welcome.
Thanks!
Blue2

[:FI:Mefisto]

but what is the price limitation?

[:FI:Falcon]

Yeah, how cheap are we talkin'?



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Okay, so these are new and game oriented, but FYI ...

from the June issue of Games for Windows

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Lightweight:

Dell Latitude D620 or HP Pavilion dv6000t

Half Life 2? yes

CoH/Oblivion? no way

$1200-1400

~~~

Midline:

Gateway NX860XL or Toshiba Satelite P-100 59752

Half Life 2/CoH? yes

Oblivion/Supreme Commander? nope/reduced settings

$1800-2900

~~~

Desktop Replacement:

Alienware Area 51 m9570 or Voodoo Envy W: 201

will play everything

ready for it .... $4000-7000!

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

If your talking new and inexpensive

[:FI:Blue2]

My mistake leaving off the budget there.

I'm talking USED and NOT expensive. Just looking for your basic Honda Accord here.... Corvettes and Porsche's need not apply.
Gaming also is NOT a priority for this thing.
Would like to keep it at $400 or less. I'm thinking that will get me something pretty decent & 3 years old or less, right?

Durability/reliability would also be nice. Screen size isn't all that important... would rather avoid the tiny ones, and don't need the huge ones either since it may see some occasional airplane use.

Like I said, laptops are a mystery to me. I need guidance from the masters.

[:FI:Heloego]

...so the best thing to do to find a good used Lap Puppet is check into a couple of local computer shops, see what they have available, plug 'em in, try 'em out, and make a decision which meets your needs and you're most comfortable with. Prolly get a 30-day warranty for P&L.

On-line you could try Craig's List. I've bought a few good used pieces of equipment through CL. Keep your searches as local as possible, CALL or VISIT the seller if you can. Little or no warranty, though.

...or go online to the various makers and/or vendors and check out a re-furbished unit. A basic Lap PC can be easily purchased for under 500.00US whether it's new or used. You just have to take the time to look around. (Using ShopZilla, Nextag, Pricegrabber, etc are very good places to start, but limit your serious inquiry to a reputable vendor.) The advantage is usually a warranty of some kind.

For your purposes it doesn't matter whether it's Intel or AMD, Dell or Fujitsu. Just look for the features/OS you need and rock on.